Australian journalist visits Central New York

Visiting journalist Kaitlyn Fasso-Opie said Central New York is not so different from her home in Mildura, Australia. The food and history are what really set the areas apart.

She was part of the Rotary International's Group Study Exchange, a program that transplants people from other Rotary Districts in order to get a sense of vocational and cultural differences worldwide.

Fasso-Opie was part of a group from Rotary District 9780, which is made up of Victoria and Southern Australia. Her group switched places effectively with Central New York's District 7150, which stretches from Auburn to Utica.

"This is something that is done worldwide," said District 7150 Chairman Henry McDonald. "District governors make the decision of who to work with globally." McDonald explained that groups are led by one district Rotarian who helps recruit candidates, sponsored by area clubs. Everyone, including the team leader, applies and is chosen by district representatives. The group is hosted by Rotary families in different communities for four weeks.

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Generally, the GSE groups are assembled around certain professions or lines of work. Last year's visiting team from the United Kingdom was made up of medical professionals. This year it was a collection of non-Rotarians who work in civil service-type careers. MacDonald categorized the GSE program as a "cultural and vocational experience."

Fasso-Opie works at a weekly paper called the Sunraysia Daily in Mildura in Victoria. She said that like the U.S., print circulation has decreased and publications are moving toward online models. She received a degree in journalism from Deakin University, a process that took her three years as opposed to four in America.

One thing she noticed about New York papers, after visiting the Observer Dispatch in Utica, the Rome Sentinel and the Oneida Daily Dispatch, was that despite the small staff sizes, each employee seems invested and well adjusted. She is used to seeing newsrooms with at least 50 journalists, a contrast to the small staff in Oneida.

But, she said the Oneida Daily Dispatch staff "is pretty good at what they do."

In addition to visiting area newsrooms in CNY, Fasso-Opie had the opportunity to observe courtrooms and police stations, an interest of hers after covering criminal proceedings in Australia. In addition, Fasso-Opie enjoyed visiting historic sites in the area, including the Abolition Hall of Fame in Peterboro and the Canal Town Museum and Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota.

"You have such an enormity of history here, and I've been exposed to many different issues as well," Fasso-Opie said.

She has learned about hydrofracking in her short time here, something she wasn't directly aware of before her visit.

She has also tried some local fare and favorites, including Utica greens, halfmoon cookies and salt potatoes. Fasso-Opie said that despite the rich history and the local foods, CNY is very similar to Victoria, in the sense that both are fairly rural areas that are predominantly agricultural, relying on dairy farms and other crops for their economy.

Throughout the week, Fasso-Opie has worked with Rotary clubs in Hamilton, Oneida and Canastota telling them about Australia and their professions.

"I am very grateful to all of our host families and Rotary International for the hospitality we have received," Fossi-Opie said.

The group is attending the district meeting this weekend at Vernon Downs to share their experiences and speak more on Australia.

MacDonald said the program will change this year, altering some of the limitations. Currently, only applicants between the ages of 25 and 40 can apply, an age when taking a full month off of work can be difficult. Also, he said the changes would allow districts to help with funding and shorten distance and duration of the trip. This would allow for trips from the Central New York district to Los Angles for only a week, for example, instead of the current trips that take people half-way around the globe for a month.

"This will allow us to send more people more places," MacDonald said "It's going to allow us to look at a particular district's goals and focus and build a team around that. Maybe not only sending people in a certain field, but people who have a certain interest."

MacDonald said that not only are these trips an important educational tool for Rotarians and other members of Rotary Districts, but also a way to promote peace and understanding on a global scale.

"This is more about building bridges across the world with vocational and cultural activities," MacDonald said. "It's hard to harbor negative feelings toward a group of people when you have shared experiences with them and have broken bread with them at their table. It shows us how close as human beings we really are."